Metro 2033 Walkthrough & Strategy Guide

The most commonly encountered problems for Metro 2033 (the initial un-patched release) will be addressed here. Please note that future patches and updates may address or solve some issues mentioned here. One click will reveal the answer; to hide it again, double click the Q&A module.

Common questions...

» How can I distinguish military rounds from the regular rounds?

This is an admittedly tough one, especially without high quality screenshots. The military rounds are ONLY used in the Bastard Gun, Kalash (the AK-74), VSV (the VSS with no HUD sight), and Kalash 2012 (Russian FN P90). No other weapons will use the military ammo.

When you hold the reload button to switch between the home-made and the military ammo, take a look at the ammunition graphic when you have your automatic weapon selected -- if the base is reddish/brownish, you are using the home-brew ammo. If the bullet's circumference is gold, you have loaded the military grade ammo into the weapon.

» What's the best weapon in the game?

That depends on what you are trying to take down. Against the nosalise (pug faced mutants, about your size), the revolver will work, while against the "Demons" (bat-winged gargoyle mutants), you will need about a dozen shotgun shells or a few well placed military round shots.

You may want to vary your arsenal as you go through the game; initially, you can use pneumatic and silenced weapons to bolster your stealthy approach against human enemies. Once you have reached the Polis Station, you will need to be more aggressive, as the enemies from that point out will almost always be alerted to your presence (focus on shotgun shells and military rounds).

» I can't change my air filter, or my gas mask broke; how can I fix this?

Make sure you have enough air filters by purchasing them initially, and looking for them in caches through Dead City, Outpost, Alley, Library, Depository, and Chapters 6 and 7. It won't matter how great your gas mask is if you run out of air filters. Your character will automatically replace his filter (if he has another one in stock) when the current filter expires, so you don't have to do anything at all.

Since your gas mask can break from receiving too much damage, "save" your gas mask by taking it off temporarily if you know you're going to get pummeled. You can survive briefly without a gas mask while you sprint to a safer area, put the mask back on, and hose the incoming hostile.

For the most part, if you are combatting enemies in a mask-required area, there will be replacement gas masks around. Swap out damaged masks AFTER combat is resolved, to get the maximum benefit.

» Can I upgrade my armor or defence?

At the Armory Station (end of Chapter 3) and Polis Station (start of Chapter 5) you may purchase the Armored Suit for 100 military rounds. Note that you can only wear one suit at a time (both armor suits are the same). The armored suit reduces the damage you receive, but degrades your character's stealth by a slight amount.

» Can I improve my stealth abilities?

Yes. At the Armory Station (end of Chapter 3), you may purchase a Sneaking Suit for 100 military grade rounds. This suit and the Armor Suit are mutually exclusive. The Sneaking Suit will allow your character to improve his stealth by one step; the time piece reflects this by not displaying any lights on the visibility meter.

» How many endings are there?

There are two endings. The alternate ending depends on the accumulation of "moral actions and decisions" of your character through the entire campaign. If you earn the alternate ending, you can opt to do nothing at the end to view the default ending.

Check the "Alternate Ending" section (navigate to it through the image-map at the top) for the criteria of this outcome.

» How do I read the time-piece (the watch)?

The watch's main face simply displays your system's current time. The inner dial (with the green/yellow/red pie-chart) is the time left on your current filter (it is a crude estimate -- use the fogging up of your mask for a more precise gauge).

You generally refer to the time-piece to see how stealthy you are; notice there are three bulbs on the wristband, and where only one glows at a time? That's your "visibility meter" which is how easily visible you are to enemies.

Red means you are in plain sight.

Yellow means you are partially visible.

Green means you are hard to see.

No lights (possible with the Sneaking Suit) means you are completely unnoticed.

The lights display your visibility in real-time; use a two handed weapon and you can keep an eye on your watch's lights and be armed at the same time.